KEVIN Bond probably took the right job at the wrong time.

As an ex-Cherries player and son of one of the club's former managers, Bond jumped at the chance to take the reins at Dean Court in October 2006.

Out of work and down on his luck, a return to the club he had served as captain between 1988 and 1991 would have been too good an opportunity to turn down.

Having briefly cut his teeth in management at non-league Stafford Rangers in 1997, he stepped back into the hot-seat after filling various coaching and assistant roles.

He certainly looked the part.

Resplendent in a sharp suit and with a television camera crew in tow, Bond took charge of Cherries for the first time at Millwall 22 months ago.

Unlike his predecessor Sean O'Driscoll, Bond would also indulge the media. He would never shirk a question and was always available for interview. He was rarely awkward.

But like O'Driscoll, Bond would soon discover the job was anything but a cakewalk.

Five successive league defeats left supporters wondering whether the Cherries board had appointed the right man.

However, the return fixture against Millwall in March 2007 signified a defining chapter in Bond's reign.

Jeff Mostyn, his close personal friend and staunch ally, gained a controlling interest in the club after claiming he had bought it with Steve Sly.

Mostyn became chairman and everything on the pitch was rosy.

Having been in deep relegation trouble at the turn of the year, Bond guided Cherries to safety with plenty in hand.

But at boardroom level, it was merely a case of new dawn, same old mistakes. The infighting and politics continued to drag the club down.

Mostyn chose to run the business in a cloak-and-dagger fashion - and Bond paid the penalty.

As the team lurched from one crisis to another, Bond was left to carry the can and also operate the PR machine as a veil of silence descended on Mostyn.

In truth, Bond's big buddy did him no favours.

With relegation again looming large, the calls for Bond's head grew louder. Less tolerant chairmen may have decided to dispense with his services last Christmas.

Instead, Mostyn pulled the rug from beneath Bond when he put the club into administration.

Had the chairman been more communicative, it might not have come as such a great surprise.

To the eternal credit of Bond, his staff and players, a Herculean effort almost saw Cherries pull off the greatest of Great Escapes.

It came against a backdrop of a farcical takeover battle, although Bond managed to retain his dignity and professionalism throughout.

However, the writing was probably on the wall for Bond once new owners had come in and squeezed Mostyn's power.

They doubtless had their own man in mind and Bond's days were numbered.

Thanks for the good times Kevin and all the best Jimmy Quinn and Jason Tindall. You may need it.